The inner Q

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

As I am sure many of you have noticed, I don't update or use The inner Q very often any more. The reason being, was that I left for awhile to do some gaming journalism for a zelda website. While my time there certainly assisted me in pushing my formal writing capabilities, miss communications happens and I left shortly after starting. Recently I was asked to write reviews for a different website called Entitled Critics, so please look forward to those!

My long time followers and readers will know how exciting this is for me, but, Im also willing to bet they're wondering what I will do recreationally? Haha well they're right, as often as I enjoy writing for a purpose, I enjoy writing for fun a lot of the time as well. Recently I've been asked by friends and acquaintances to start a blog regarding advice for life, relationships, pick me ups, tips and what not regarding just life in general. I will talk about different stuff in a really relate-able manner, and you can find my first one over at Advice for Life, from a guy, so please look forward to that!

I have had a blast doing The inner Q, and someday I may come back and pick it up. But for now, please enjoy my advice blog, and my game reviews. I greatly appreciate all the support that followers and frequent visitors of this page have brought. I hope in the future you will continue to do so with my new works, and as always, please like, subscribe, +1, comment, share, get in touch with me! I want to cover topics youd like to see in the blogs, and review games you'd like to know about.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

as some of you remember I used to do video game reviews on here and share my thoughts and what not. I haven't been able to do as many with all the sudden live changing experiences going on, however, I have not stopped trying to do something. Recently I teamed up with a few friends and created podcast called "Iron Boots" you can find us at http://ironboots.podomatic.com/

Saturday, June 8, 2013

So I have been inactive for quite some time. I took a semi volunteer writing job for awhile, got engaged, graduated college, applied to a new college, blah blah blah.

But I am back kind of. Mostly through podcast. A friend and I decided to start a podcast called
"Iron Boots" and that is that. This will still be here for when I decide to make/post game reviews and what not. We are also planning to do a few lets plays since I figured out how to capture my screen, but right now we are just working on the podcast.

Please check it out, we just did the first episode tonight and its uploaded and ready for you to enjoy!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Majora's Mask is one of those Zelda titles that many of us hold very dear. Each of us have our reasons and rhymes for giving the game a special place in our hearts. I have been wanting to share this piece with you for awhile now and I finally think its time.Majora's Mask as we all know is the story of Link after he returns to his own time in Hyrule. He returned from his battles a change boy. Forced into adulthood he would forever remember his battle across time, remember the pain that spread across Hyrule. The pain he saw unleashed upon his friends all across the land. He would return home, to the age he remembered, but the memories would never leave him. When it was finally all over and he believed he could return to the life he knew, his dearest friend left him behind. So he soon left too, to search for his most precious friend.Majora's Mask is where our Hero of Time has began a new, personal journey. To find his old friend once more, but what Link finds is much more than he originally had anticipated. Swallowed into sea of Majora's Wrath Link is transformed into a young Deku child. He arrives in Clock Town and is told to retrieve the object that was taken from him, then he will be returned to his previous form. Link succeeds and Link's journey could very well continue. He could leave Clock Town and the mask owner to fend for themselves. To find Epona and continue seeking Navi elsewhere. What keeps Link from leaving Termina to go continue his quest? Some may argue it's because he sees Tatl as Navi, others may say its because he still owes debt to the Happy Mask Salesmen, I however, think it runs much deeper than that.
In the 3 days that Link had to recover his Ocarina he witnessed the city move, started to meet and know the people of Clock Town and in its final hours knew what would befall Clock Town if actions were not taken. Link had seen Hyrule's future before. With evil free to roam and no one there to stop it Hyrule was transformed into a hellish nightmare . His home over run with Massive Deku's, the Zora's Domain frozen solid, and Hyrule market itself left in ruins and despair. I believe Link remembered what happened to his home without him there to save it. So with the help of Tatl he returned to the Clock Town of the first day he arrived and vowed to save it from meeting a similar or worse end.

As we followed Link through his journey with Tatl to save the giants and stop Skull Kid we saw Link doing something much deeper than running the errands for the folk of Hyrule. He didn't simply run masks to people, or save the carpenters, Link time and time again put himself in constant danger at various points for every person in Termina. He rushed to the aid of the old lady being robbed at Midnight on the 1st night. Link removed the poison from the swamp, scaled a frozen mountain to free the Goron's, swam through the deep ocean and ventured deep into not only a Pirate's Lair but an Eel Nest to help save the eggs of a Zora Woman. He fought off invaders for the farm, helped the dead finally find peace, help bring a couple back together in one of their darkest hours and many many others.

Link had gone, came and went again through time, each time rushing to save the Giants but to also bring aid to one of the people he couldn't help before. In this world, Link could eventually help and save everyone, which he wasn't able to do in his home of Hyrule. However, before Link rose for his final battle against Skull Kid and eventually Majora himself, Link's efforts had only effected a few individuals; the Giants and the masks that were once living beings. When Link went back to the 1st day for the last time everything was reset. All the work Link had done had been reset every time and on this final trip through time, where Link would once and for all bring down Majora and stop the moon from falling, there would still be a large amount of people who just couldn't be saved.
It's left for you to decide whose lives you want to impact. Do you make the grandmother feel special by staying up and listening to her stories? Do you return to the mountains and free the Gorons from their icy prison? What about the Zoras, do you reunite their band and clear the ocean waters? Do you break the curses of the gold skulltulas? It's all left for you to decide, whom you believe is worthy of helping and saving. Maybe you won't help anyone, maybe you'll dance till night and then dance till dawn with one of the scarecrows, or maybe you will just fast forward time until the night of the last day.

Either way even with the power to go back and forth through time, you still can't save everyone. You help others though but, doesn't it come with some cost? To reunite Anju and Kafei you need to allow an old woman to be attacked and robbed. However, to save her would be great, but that means you would never be able to reunite Anju with her love nor find the Mayor's missing son. You end up with a free room at the Inn, which is great! You even found 100 Rupees in there, but you took the room of another person and now they're forced to sleep in the street. What about your masks, the Deku, Goron, and Zora's mask? A poor Deku Child was killed to transform Link into that state. A fallen warrior spirit was transformed into a mask, he let himself be transformed so that even after death he could fight again to save his people. A Zora who just wanted to get back the stolen eggs was left to rot on a beach and when Link found him, he calmed him and in death turned him into a mask. The Zora believe you, Link, to actually be Mikau and after you've saved the eggs you leave Lulu believing Mikau will return for her...but he never does.

Sure end all be all, Link stops Skull Kid, stops the Moon from falling, and puts an end to Majora, he was the hero of Termina and a hero to many, but he also wasn't able to be a hero for everyone. You see the thing that I love about Majora's Mask is that it forces, you the player, to make these decisions. Ones I am sure many people don't even stop to think about. Majora's Mask pushes you to save the people you think should be saved, it forces you to make a decision and yes, choosing to warp to the final day and help no one is a decision. Link was a boy thrown into destiny, a destiny where he would be forced to flow through time over and over again in order to combat evil. In the end you are the one to make the tough decisions. I believe this is why Link stayed in Termina, to try and stop Termina from meeting a similar fate that Hyrule did or may go through.

When I think about Majora's Mask and why I enjoy the game so much, it's more than just another Zelda game to me. It's a game that teaches us that even with the power to control time and go back, we can't change everything, we can't help everyone, and even with that kind of power, we can't be everywhere. Majora's Mask helps remind me to be thankful for what I do have in my life and to appreciate the world and the loved ones around me, and that sometimes in life things just happen that are beyond our control. For me,Majora's Maskruns much deeper than just another adventure with Link. What are your thoughts aboutMajora's Maskwhat are some of the things you love about the game, things that make you keep coming back to it?

Monday, November 19, 2012

Pre-Game:

Hey everyone, it has been awhile since my last blog. A lot of you took part in the poll I did for coming back from my break. For those of you that didn't know I run a poll every so often to see what you guys want to see me play then I pick 3, usually them most popular choices and 1 I want to do myself, take a poll and whoever wins gets a review done by me.

First off I want to give a big thank you to everyone on Facebook who do read and keep up on the blog, to those of you that like and participate in the polls I really appreciate your enthusiasm. It makes doing this a lot of fun especially knowing you guys are excited to see what I come up with.

So Mother 3 takes place on a place called "Nowhere Islands" and you play as a young boy named Lucas. I have actually played this game before and this is my 3rd time playing it. The reason why I included this game into the poll was simple. Im trying something new and because of that I picked 2 games that were very familiar to me and 1 that people wanted me to play. Mother 3 just happened to win which is great for me and great for you guys since so many of you wanted to see it played.

So normally I go into this long pre-game review but it doesn't apply here. However I will suggest that if you did play Earthbound, play Mother 3.

I will go more in depth when this is all said and done. Now I know you guys have been waiting to see what my new little twist for you is and, its this.

Part 1

and Part 2

Yes thats right my friends. My surprise for you was recording what Im playing and letting see all the wonder, frustration and joy happening at once. I do apologize in advance though, this was my first attempt at doing anything like this. I lost video in a few spots and for some reason some of the game audio lags. So hopefully going forward with this I wont have to many more problems. Also I am limited to 15 minutes per video by youtube but if you do like what Im doing and want me to continue please favorite, share, thumbs up and like the videos!

Please feel free to post your opinions and suggestions below, send them via twitter or facebook as well. Thank you everyone and I hope you like this like little taste of whats to come!(as long as people enjoy it anyways, otherwise I probably won't make another part.)

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Ladies and Gentlemen it has been a very long time since my last review. I have been extremely busy with school and work lately but I am proud to tell you that the wait is over. Next week I will release the 3rd poll for everyone to cast their votes and see who will be played next for my next review but not only that I will be adding something new to the review. If it goes over well with you guys it will become a normal thing.

So your option for the poll are as follows.

and the mystery challenger that was reviled earlier on my facebook and twitter....

Voting will go up sometime next week and will last till Friday so vote for your favorite! I look forward to showing you guys my new little idea for spicing up the blogs!

Monday, July 16, 2012

But Chukkaque you haven't had a poll or anything in a couple of weeks, whats going on?

Well let's fill this void with some knowledge.

Since I finished Legacy of Kain and literally wanted to drown myself afterwards, I decided to take a minor break. Legacy of Kain took me awhile to finish and I put in a lot more work than I did for Skyrim.(In a rough comparison anyways). So as you noticed through the last play I revised somethings.

Which I'll explain later.

What I've been doing is playing a couple games and will give my quick review of the titles.

THEATRYTHM FINAL FANTASY 3DS:

I was really hesitant to get this game because I really didn't like the art style...example.

But honestly it's a pretty great game and I know "But it's a final fantasy rhythm game, I don't get it!" I didn't at first either.

Game play:

It plays a lot like Elite Beat Agents tapping, sliding and flicking in directions along with the music. There are 3 basic music styles, Field, Battle, and event.

Field:

In the field stages you typically play an overworld theme and your character runs along a path showing familiar areas from said game's song. You can run across moogles who give you treasure, run into unlockable characters who also give you items and call chocbos to run farther in the stage. Sounds simple enough, but that's where your stats and abilities come in. You have roughly 2-3 1/2 minutes to get as far as you can in the stage. So your Speed stat effects that and it changes for every character. Not only that but you'll need higher luck to increase the chance of people appearing and to increase drop rates for rare items you'll want later.

Battle:

Essentially mock battles your party(four characters you select at the start of the game that can be changed at any time) fall into a traditional 4 person battle party. Each character has a lane that notes will come down. Each time you get a good or better your character will attack the enemy on screen and when its defeated another will show up to take its place. Now this is where Strength, Magic, and Luck all play a part. The stronger you are, the more enemies you will kill, same with Magic when its executed. As they die you'll want more luck to increase their drop rate and rare drop rate. When your HP hits 0 its Game Over. Much like the ability to call Chocobos you can also call summons in battle.

Event:

In Event mode you will play a song along with mashed together sceens/cut sceens from the game. Above we have Final Fantasy VIII. In this mode your courser moves from note to note and you have to perform the actions as it hovers over them. Much like calling chocobos and summoning aeons/espers/etc in battle, you can enter an extended version of each Event mode.

There are other things in the game such as Dark Notes/Chaos Shrine in which you unlock notes from street pass or the one they give you in the game and every time you complete it you will get another note. This is the main way to unlock hidden characters from the other FF titles.

There is also Challenge which allows you to play unlocked songs from Series mode or when you get enough Rhythmia(rm) points you can unlock bonus songs that are not part of Series mode. They also have a very detailed Records sections and many trophies to unlock.

The thing though is if you're not a huge Final Fantasy fan or crazy into rhythm games, this probably is not the game for you. I love rhythm games and love Final Fantasy so this game is ideal for me, but it is a lot of fun, the songs get very challenging, I've clocked over 40 hours and have 60,000+ rm, but thats just me!

Final Fantasy V:

I am very aware how long this game has been out, but I never finished it. I only ever made it to the earth crystal place. However I am about 15 hours into this game and I forgot how tough older games can be. They give you almost no direction and you have to find out where to go on your own. Theres no narrator to help you either, you have to find hints throughout random NPCs. I keep thinking Im almost done but I never am. Spoiler ALERT!!!! I am in the sacred wood that X-Death starts on fire. Well Im about to fight those sacred beasts that guard the inside of it anyway. Was totally not expecting them to cast Fire3 on me over and over again half way through the fight.

Shadow Hearts 2:

This is a sequel from the first Shadow Hearts. It takes place about 1 1/2 years after the first one. The battle system is much smoother than it was in the first game and it still takes place in Europe for the most part. Im only about 10 hours into this but it feels a lot like the first one, especially since you start the game seeing Yuri(main character in this game and the last game) in one of his very final Fusions.(Fusions are an ability Yuri has where he can transform into various creatures after collecting enough souls) But something happens story wise that makes him start over. Classic RPG mechanic *cough*Kingdom Hearts...

But this is about it on my end. Im planning on playing a couple other games soon FFIV and FFIII DS remakes are on my to do list, but I also have Xenosaga II to play as well. Once I finish FFV though I think I'll start another poll to see what you guys wanna see. Until then, thanks for reading everyone!